


The Early Bird Levels Up

by SpaceJammie



Series: Fluffy KuroKen Short Stories [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Fluff, Inspired by the song Brand New Day by Kodaline, Kenma is not a morning person, Kozume Kenma in Love, Kozume Kenma's Birthday, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou Fluff, Kuroo Tetsurou in Love, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, Kuroo is a softie for Kenma, M/M, Mention of Bokuto's sisters, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Oddly Specific Fic For My Oddly Specific Interests, Post-Canon, Pre-Time Skip, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27583225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceJammie/pseuds/SpaceJammie
Summary: Kuroo has a surprise for Kenma’s birthday.For some reason it requires waking up really, really early.But it's worth it.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Series: Fluffy KuroKen Short Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985024
Comments: 23
Kudos: 152





	1. Chapter 1

It was October sixteenth. But more importantly, it was Kenma's twenty first birthday. He had stayed up too late playing video games, since it was the weekend. His parents didn't complain about how late he stayed up now that he was an adult. 

It had been past three in the morning when he finally went to bed. And it was just past six in the morning when the sound of pebbles hitting his bedroom window stirred Kenma from his sleep.

He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, frowning. He listened quietly for a moment, waiting for another sound. When the room stayed silent, he laid back down with a huff. He was tired and didn't want to get up over an imagined noise. 

However, as soon as he had relaxed his head back down on his pillow, a clink on his window made him sit back up. He heaved a long sigh. There was only one person who would be throwing rocks at his window this early in the morning. And quite unnecessarily, too, since Kuroo had long known where the spare key was hidden. 

Kenma sighed as he thought about all the things he had had to put up with for his best friend. He crawled out of bed, bringing his blanket with him to keep warm, and stepped in front of the window. He opened it and leaned his head out, giving an irritated look to Kuroo down below. 

Kuroo was standing in front of Kenma's house below the window, wearing a goofy grin. The sunrise was just starting and soft light surrounded him. It made Kuroo look kind of beautiful, if Kenma was being honest with himself. But Kuroo was still annoying. Because anyone would be annoying at six in the morning, no matter how beautiful. 

Kuroo waved at Kenma as he called up to him. "Happy birthday! Pack an overnight bag, I have a surprise for you!"

Kenma tilted his head as he leaned further out the open window, replying flatly. "Can it wait? I'm trying to sleep. Like most people do at this hour."

Kuroo shook his head and laughed. "Well, we're not most people, are we? Besides, we have to be somewhere by sunset."

Trying, and mostly failing, to keep frustration out of his voice, Kenma called down his reply. "I hope you realize it's six in the morning right now, not six at night."

Kuroo seemed to be tired of talking back and forth from below the window, so he dashed over to the front door and grabbed the spare key from underneath a flower pot. He let himself inside, as he had done countless times before, and then quietly hurried up to Kenma's room. 

Kenma closed his window and flopped back down on his bed, burying his head under the blanket. If he ignored Kuroo hard enough, his friend might just go away and let him sleep. But he doubted it. 

Kuroo soon entered the room and yanked the blanket off Kenma. "I have a very special day planned for us!"

Kenma groaned and rolled onto his stomach. "I only went to sleep a few hours ago. Leave me alone."

With a shake of his head, Kuroo clicked his tongue. "How many times have I told you not to stay up so late playing games? Tell you what, I'll pack your overnight bag for you. And I'll let you sleep in the car."

Kenma peeked an eye open and rolled onto his side, squinting at Kuroo. "What car? You don't own a car."

Kuroo chuckled lightly as he scurried around the room, packing the bag he held with Kenma's stuff. "Bokuto's oldest sister is letting me borrow her car for today and tomorrow."

That surprised Kenma enough to make him sit up. "How did you manage that?"

The bag that Kuroo was packing was full, so he zipped it closed and slung it over his shoulder. "I told her about my idea for celebrating your birthday when I was at Bokuto's parent's house for dinner last week, and she insisted that I use her car. I had planned on us taking the train, but going by car is better."

Kenma hummed as he considered what Kuroo said.

It seemed like his friend was making too big a deal out of his birthday, like he always tried to do. When it came down to it, Kenma would have been happy with just spending the day together playing games. Kuroo always complicated things with more effort than necessary.

Flashing a playful smile, Kuroo waited expectantly for Kenma to get up. 

Kenma always slept in just his boxers and a thin shirt, even if it was freezing outside. He owned very soft blankets and liked to borrow under them when it was cold enough. Now that Kuroo had taken his softest blanket, he needed to get up and get clothes on just for the sake of getting warm, since the room was chilly.

Kenma sighed and got out of bed, knowing that Kuroo wasn't going to let go of whatever he had planned for the day. He pulled on some pants and slipped on a sweatshirt with his favorite game character on it. The hoodie had been his gift from Kuroo last year. 

A gift that had not required him to wake up early, unlike whatever Kuroo had in mind for this year. 

They finally made it out the door and went over to Bokuto's oldest sister's car, which was actually a very nice vehicle. Kenma couldn't believe she was letting Kuroo borrow it, and just for a birthday celebration. It seemed suspicious. 

Kenma glanced at Kuroo as they settled into the car and started to drive away. "Are you… dating Bokuto's sister or something?"

Kuroo looked genuinely surprised at the question. "What? No way. She's cool and all, but I don't think of her like that."

Kuroo sounded sincere, so Kenma nodded. Kenma had seen Bokuto's sisters pull some massive pranks on Bokuto and Kuroo, and didn't really think there was relationship potential between his best friend and either sister. Kuroo was like an adopted sibling to them.

"So, what's your plan? I can already tell you're being excessive," Kenma deadpanned.

Kuroo cracked the sideways grin that Kenma loved best. "You're so mellow about celebrating, it's basically my duty to be a little extra."

After a short laugh, Kenma scrunched up his nose. "Yeah, you're extra, alright. Extra annoying when you make me wake up early on a weekend. Seriously, where are we going?"

Kuroo drummed his fingers on the steering wheel with excitement. "Do you remember that vacation you missed out on last year, because you were sick?"

Kenma hummed in confirmation.

It had been a five day trip to Mie prefecture, which was somewhere Kenma had actually wanted to go. There were some beautiful sights there. Some of the Nekoma graduates had gone together with a few Fukurodani alumni, but Kenma was too feverish at the time and had to stay home. He was surprised Kuroo was still thinking about it. 

"Well, I'm taking you there and we're going to stay overnight!" Kuroo sounded very pleased with himself and his idea as he smiled brightly. 

To a lesser extent, Kenma was also excited. But he was more surprised than anything else. "You're going to drive us all the way to Mie prefecture? That's like, what, seven or eight hours away?"

Kuroo nodded and reached towards the back seat, grabbing a small white bag and then setting it on Kenma's lap. "About that far away, yeah. Here's your breakfast."

Kenma blinked at the bag. He inhaled deeply through his nose as he opened it, taking in the pleasant aroma. 

The smell of warm apple and cinnamon washed over his senses. There were several apple fritters inside the small paper bag. Kenma hummed cheerfully, glad that Kuroo always remembered how much he enjoyed apple cinnamon flavored baked goods. 

Kuroo chuckled knowingly. "Am I forgiven for waking you up so early, now?"

After a grin at Kuroo, Kenma bit into a pastry and noticed it was still a little warm. Kuroo must have got them fresh just before coming to pick him up. 

He wondered how early Kuroo had woken up that day to get things together for a trip and get fresh doughnuts before coming to get him. He gave his best friend a sideways glance as he enjoyed the sweet taste of the apple fritter. 

He didn't have to tell Kuroo how much he appreciated the thoughtfulness. It was obvious Kuroo knew already by the self satisfied grin he wore.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Kenma asked after he finished a second bite, licking a bit of frosting from the corner of his mouth.

Kuroo shook his head focused on the road. "Not yet. I wanted to get to you as soon as possible, so I forgot."

Kenma hummed and held his doughnut out to Kuroo, offering some. Kuroo glanced at the apple fritter, then leaned over to take a bite while keeping his eyes on the road. That pattern continued as they drove, with Kenma feeding Kuroo in between taking his own bites. 

They had always shared food like that, even back when they were still in high school. No one had ever said anything about it, but there were times that Kenma felt like they got weird looks from some girls who had been checking Kuroo out from a distance. Jealous looks.

Making those girls envious had actually made Kenma kind of happy, though. He hadn't wanted Kuroo to date anyone, he liked having his friend to himself. He felt relieved every time Kuroo turned down a confession. And he was even more relieved that Kuroo was still single now, after starting college. 

Kenma was wiping his hands and mouth with a napkin as he turned to look at Kuroo. "Did you put my Switch in my bag?"

With a sly grin, Kuroo nudged Kenma's arm gently. "Of course. What kind of best friend would I be if I forgot that?"

Kenma gave a small smile as he reached into the back seat to dig through his bag. But he also felt a little disappointed every time Kuroo referred to him as 'friend' or 'best friend.' Kenma had thought differently of their relationship for a long time. 

They were not just best friends. The two of them were so much more. 

But Kuroo never made any open remarks or gave any hints that suggested he might feel the same way. So Kenma just let the love he felt for Kuroo simmer away silently in the back of his mind. Like a flame that he was sheltering from the wind. 

Someday, he would act on those feelings. But not yet. Things were fine as they were. Kenma felt sure that they would reach the next level together eventually, so he felt no need to rush it.

He ended up playing a game with headphones on for a few hours, while Kuroo listened to loud music over the car stereo. Both were content to be with each other while doing their own thing. They didn't need to fill every space with words or claim every bit of attention available.

And that was something that Kenma really appreciated about their relationship. Sometimes he really needed a break from talking and interactions, but he wanted to be near Kuroo all the same. And Kuroo had learned that fact early in their friendship, so he had adapted to Kenma's need for being together while also being independent.

In a similar way, Kenma had learned to recognize when Kuroo needed to have interaction to feel valued and seen. In all their many years of knowing each other, they had come to find such a comfortable balance for existing together within their friendship. 

The mutual respect and understanding was something Kenma valued more than anything else, and he had no doubt Kuroo felt the same way. 


	2. Chapter 2

They'd been driving for almost five hours when they decided to stop at a small restaurant for lunch. Kenma was feeling very sleepy and didn't want to go inside to eat, so Kuroo went in alone and ordered food to go.

Kenma waited in the car and checked his phone, which had many birthday wishes from his former teammates. He also had a text from Hinata from a little while earlier; he had to read it twice to be sure of what he saw. 

**Shoyo**

Received at 10:30am

_Happy birthday! So, are you going to keep your promise??_

Kenma tried to remember what Hinata was talking about, but he couldn't remember. So he decided to ask Hinata directly. 

**Shoyo**

Sent at 11:08am

_Thanks. What promise?_

Hinata's reply came quickly, as though he'd been waiting by the phone. 

**Shoyo**

Received at 11:09am

_You said you'd confess to Kuroo when you turned 21!! After we'd been drinking together at training camp?_

A blurry memory came back to Kenma. 

Suga had snuck alcohol into the training camp and a small group had shared the bottle. Kuroo, Bokuto and Akaashi had been off getting Tsukishima to practice more, so they didn't join in or even know about the drinking. Kuroo probably would have scolded him about it, for drinking underage and for doing it without him.

He'd ended up telling Hinata how he felt about Kuroo when it was just the two of them walking through the hallway on their way back from the bathroom. Hinata had insisted that Kenma needed to confess to Kuroo as soon as possible. But Kenma didn't want to do it while they were still on the volleyball team together. 

The compromise ended up being Kenma promising to confess on his 21st birthday. A promise that he had forgotten completely. He sighed and texted back a 'maybe' to Hinata and then put his phone away, since Kuroo was coming out of the restaurant with their food. 

Once Kuroo was back in the car, he handed a box of food to Kenma. "I got you grilled chicken and steamed veggies."

"No pie?" Kenma asked teasingly. It was a bit of a tradition for Kuroo to get him an apple pie on his birthday, though the apple fritters had been a nice twist.

Kuroo chuckled and gave Kenma a soft look that was probably supposed to be reprimanding. "You already had your dessert. I'm just looking out for your health. Hey, you seem kind of unsettled. You feeling okay?"

Kenma paused mid bite and glanced at Kuroo. It was true that he was a little flustered from Hinata bringing up the forgotten promise, but he thought he was hiding it well. Of course, hiding his feelings never did seem to work on Kuroo, who could see right through him.

Using his food as an excuse to delay a response, Kenma took a huge bite and shrugged his shoulders. He risked a glance at his friend. Kuroo was looking at him with an observant stare, as though he might actually be able to read Kenma's mind if he tried hard enough. There was a faint smile on Kuroo's lips.

Kenma felt himself blushing. "Stop staring at me while I eat, you're gonna make me choke."

Kuroo's mouth slid into an easy grin and he turned his attention to his own food. "Keeping secrets from your best friend, huh? You're welcome for the food, by the way."

Kenma had another mouth full of food, so he put his hands together and gave a slightly sarcastic bow towards Kuroo as thanks. Kuroo laughed and then started to eat his own food. They finished the meal in a comfortable silence. Kenma was glad that Kuroo didn't question him about why he was blushing so much. 

Since Kenma didn't want to get out to stretch his legs, they were quickly on their way again. The lack of sleep finally caught up with him and he soon fell asleep. 

\------

When Kenma woke up, he groaned and stretched his body, which was stiff from the long drive. He realized the car was parked and glanced over at Kuroo, who looked up from the book he was reading and gave a soft smile. "Good morning, sleepy head. Or should I say, good evening. It's almost six o'clock."

Kenma could hardly believe he had slept a whole seven hours. He checked his phone to confirm the time and noticed he had ten text messages, all from Hinata. His friend was likely trying to push him into confessing to Kuroo. 

Kenma ignored the texts for the time being and hoped Kuroo wouldn't notice his flushed cheeks. "How long have we been parked here?"

With a shrug. Kuroo replied in a nonchalant voice. "Since right around three."

"You could have woken me up sooner, you know," Kenma said, sitting up in his seat. His back and legs were aching. "I thought you were in a hurry to get somewhere."

Kuroo hummed and blinked innocently. "Maybe I was just excited to go on this trip. And also, I wanted you to be well rested. We are going on a walk soon."

"I do need to stretch my legs, but I'm hungry," Kenma said in a tired voice. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs as far as he could within the confines of the car.

As thought he knew Kenma would say that, Kuroo grinned smugly. "Good thing we are next to a restaurant then. Do you want to go in and sit at a table this time? We have to check in at Amanemu resort by nine, though, so we shouldn't stay long. I want to take you somewhere first."

Kenma raised his eyebrows. "Amanemu? That place is supposed to be really fancy. And expensive."

"I wanted to go all out. It's a special occasion," Kuroo said with a wink. His face had a slight flush and his voice seemed a little tight.

After further consideration, Kenma thought that Kuroo was actually being kind of weird today. It was like there was more to this trip than he was letting on. Also, though it was very subtle, Kuroo seemed like he was nervous. 

Kenma didn't want to address it directly, so he deadpanned his response. "You've never made this big of a deal out of my birthday before."

Kuroo hurried to open the drivers side door. "True, but this birthday is different, you know?" He didn't wait for an answer as he got out of the car and walked around to Kenma's door. 

After Kuroo opened the passenger door, he leaned an arm over the top of it and gave a silly grin. Kenma liked to call it his 'goofball grin.' The same grin he used when he was covering up embarrassment or feeling shy. Kuroo cleared his throat and tapped on the roof of the car a couple times. "Shall we?"

There was a slightly darker blush on Kuroo's cheeks now. Kenma wondered about it while he got out of the car and followed Kuroo into the restaurant. They were seated right away and both ordered a light meal. 

Kuroo leaned his elbows on the low table and rested his chin on his hands, giving Kenma a caring look. "You slept through most of it, but has your birthday been okay so far?"

With a hum, Kenma responded dryly. "I do love naps."

A puff of air similar to a laugh was Kuroo's initial response. "I have a lot more planned. Was there anything special you had wanted to do today?"

Kenma examined Kuroo's face. It was expectant and hopeful, and he didn't understand what was causing it. "Not really. I had kind of wanted to play games with you today, so anything else is like a bonus level," he said calmly. 

It was obvious that Kenma's answer was not what Kuroo had wanted to hear. He frowned and leaned back in his seat. "Well, we can play video games together any day. This trip will be a memorable experience."

A hum was Kenma's response, since their food had just arrived and he was quite hungry. He would be able to think better with food in his belly. Then maybe he could figure out the odd undertones of Kuroo's behavior. 

As soon as they finished eating and had paid the bill, Kuroo grabbed Kenma by the wrist and pulled him outside. "We're close to our destination, so let's walk there."

Kenma fell in step beside the taller man, who still held his wrist. It felt good to stretch his legs and walk after such a long car ride. He glanced at Kuroo and noticed that the undertones of nervousness seemed to have vanished and been replaced by giddy excitement.

_Perhaps Kuroo had been hungry when he seemed off earlier_ , Kenma thought to himself. Kuroo did get kind of weird when he was hungry, and Kenma had long been aware of that. Kuroo got hunger goofiness and Kenma got hungry crankiness. They were a funny pair.

It was starting to get dark out when they came up to the entrance of a large garden park. Kenma stopped briefly when he first saw it, mostly from surprise. He had long wanted to visit Nabana no Sato, a popular garden with a light tunnel attraction and many beautiful plant arrangements.

Kenma thought he might have even told Kuroo about wanting to visit the place, several years before. 

Nabana no Sato was the main reason that Kenma had been disappointed about missing the trip the previous year. But he didn't think he told Kuroo about that disappointment, so Kuroo must have figured it out himself. He was good at reading Kenma and predicting what he wanted.

Kuroo paid for their tickets and led the way into the attraction. Kuroo glanced at Kenma with a satisfied smirk. "Well? Did I catch you off guard?"

A wave of emotions washed of Kenma, but he tried to stomp them down. He wasn't going to cry in public, especially not for such a mushy reason as this. He couldn't answer Kuroo with words, so he just met the man's eyes and gave a thankful look. 

Kuroo seemed to understand. He wrapped an arm over Kenma's shoulder as they walked. "I'm glad you like the surprise. This is the first day they're open for the light show, by the way. That's actually why I wanted to hurry, so we had time to walk through all of it as some of the first to see it this year."

Kenma leaned into Kuroo as they walked, very aware of the man's arm over his shoulders. He felt overwhelmed with happiness and appreciation. Kuroo really could be the most thoughtful guy in the world when he wanted to be. And that was actually pretty often. 

The first place that Kuroo guided them to was the huge tunnel strung with lights, with a walking path through it. It was beautiful. Much better than the pictures Kenma had seen online. And there was almost no one else there besides the two of them. 

Kenma pulled his phone out and took a few photos, then sent one to Hinata. He ignored all the messages from his orange haired friend, but seeing them did remind him about his promise. And if he was going to keep that promise, this tunnel of lights would be the perfect place to do it.

Kenma grabbed the edge of Kuroo's shirt to stop the man from walking as he summoned his courage. He balled up his other fist and bit his lip. He suddenly felt clammy and nervous. His mouth went dry and his breathing shallowed out. He didn't think it was going to be so nerve wracking to confess.

Kuroo turned to look at Kenma with a curious expression. "What's up, you okay?"

Kenma was trying to find the right words. He wanted to tell Kuroo that he was thankful to have him. That he was amazed by Kuroo every day. That he appreciated everything Kuroo did for him. And most of all, that he loved him. But the words were really hard to get out. He looked up at Kuroo with an emotional and slightly overwhelmed expression. 

Kuroo turned and stepped closer to Kenma, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. "I already know, you don't have to force yourself to say it. I love you, too."

A surprised look crossed Kenma's face as he blushed deeply. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kuroo's lips against his own kept him silent. They kissed softly for a few moments, then Kuroo pulled back and smiled playfully. "You talk really loud when you're drunk. Next time, don't make secret promises in public hallways."

Kenma's head was still spinning from the kiss as he tried to comprehend Kuroo's statement. Kuroo had overheard him admit his love and promise Hinata that he was going to confess on his birthday? And Kuroo loved him too? Yet Kuroo waited years for the promised confession instead of just confessing himself? His eyes narrowed as he looked at Kuroo.

"You really knew this whole time and you didn't do anything about it?"

Kuroo grinned mischievously while his arms were still around Kenma. "I wanted to give you a chance to do it, and I helped you along by picking a romantic spot for us to be today. So I'm pretty sure I did do something. Or do you need a reminder of that already?" 

With that, Kuroo leaned down and kissed Kenma again, more deeply this time. The initial shock had worn off and Kenma was better able to focus on the feeling of Kuroo's lips against his own. He reached his arms up to wrap around Kuroo's shoulders and stood up on his tiptoes. Their lips moved easily against each other, and Kenma got lost in the moment.

They didn't break apart until they heard a young girl loudly ask what they were doing. Kenma pulled away from Kuroo and turned to look at the child just in time for her parent to awkwardly pull her away. Kenma blushed deeply at the realization that they had just been making out in public. 

Kuroo seemed to know exactly how embarrassed Kenma had become, and he reached down to intertwine their fingers so he could pull them into a slow walk again. "We can tone down the PDA in the future. Sorry for springing that on you all the sudden."

Kenma squeezed Kuroo's hand and smiled, still feeling the racing beat of his heart. "I think I'll get used to it if we practice more."

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I make a fic about a place I'd like to visit in Japan? Yes I did. 
> 
> Mie Prefecture has a lot going on, give it a google. Check out some pics of Nabana no Sato while you're at it. A very cute, probably cliche, place for a confession. Kuroo is totally a cliche romantic dork though so it's okay.


End file.
